{"id":983,"date":"2001-10-28T14:33:03","date_gmt":"2001-10-28T19:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/?p=983"},"modified":"2001-10-28T14:33:03","modified_gmt":"2001-10-28T19:33:03","slug":"terrorism_by_an","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2001\/10\/28\/terrorism_by_an.html","title":{"rendered":"Terrorism by any other name is … a blank check?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ACLU<\/a> goes into the new, broad definition of terrorism <\/i>in the newly-passed USA PATRIOT Act (somebody spent way too much time fiddling up that acronym). Even though the 9-11 terror violated all three existing federal definitions of terrorism<\/i>, the new Act creates a new definition:<\/p>\n

Under Section 802 of the USA PATRIOT Act, a person commits the crime of domestic terrorism if within the U.S. they engage in activity that involves acts dangerous to human life that violate the laws of the United States or any State and appear to be intended: (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.
\n… This over-broad terrorism definition would sweep in people who engage in acts of political protest if those acts were dangerous to human life. People associated with organizations such as Operation Rescue and the Environmental Liberation Front, and the World Trade Organization protesters, have engaged in activities that could subject them to prosecution as terrorists.
\nUnder the USA PATRIOT Act, once the government decides that conduct is “domestic terrorism,” law enforcement agents have the authority to charge anyone who provides assistance to that person, even if the assistance is an act as minor as providing lodging. They would have the authority to wiretap the home of anyone who is providing assistance. Also, the government could prosecute the person who provided their home under a new crime of “harboring” a terrorist (Section 803) or for “providing material support” to “terrorists.”
\nThe ACLU does not oppose the criminal prosecution of people who commit acts of civil disobedience if those acts result in property damage or place people in danger. That type of behavior is already illegal and perpetrators of these crimes can be prosecuted and subjected to serious penalties. However, such crimes often are not “terrorism.” The legislative response to terrorism should not turn ordinary citizens into terrorists.<\/p>\n

Far-fetched? Recall how RICO has expanded in its use from busting the Mob to busting any sort of “organized” criminal activity.<\/p>\n

There are certainly plenty of folks who consider Operation Rescue to be “terrorists.” And others who consider PETA to be terrorists, or the anti-WTO types, or the Environmental Liberation Front. And then we have “terrorist” unions. And “terrorist” union-busters. And “terrorist” gay-bashers. And “terrorist” pro-choicers. And …<\/p>\n

How many terrorists do you want to have? Now you can have all you want. Figure out how they are threatening human life, figure out how they are coercive, and any group of people can be labeled as terrorists. And then the Feds can monitor them, detain them, investigate them, all in secret, and both them and their “supporters.” Donated to one of the groups above? Or to a group that supports one of the groups above? You, too, may get a knock on the door, or discover folks going over your records.<\/p>\n

This is bad law-writing, folks. I don’t think it’s a deep, dark conspiracy (ever being the optimist). I just think it’s bad law-writing. And I hope it doesn’t take too many abuses of it before it’s changed.<\/p>\n

(Via Bornfamous<\/a>)<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The ACLU goes into the new, broad definition of terrorism in the newly-passed USA PATRIOT Act (somebody spent way too much time fiddling up that acronym). Even though the 9-11…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homeland-security"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":885,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2001\/11\/05\/rush_to_judgmen.html","url_meta":{"origin":983,"position":0},"title":"Rush to judgment (or at least to law passage)","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 5-Nov-01 10:41pm","format":false,"excerpt":"The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is, like most advocacy groups, more than a bit over-zealous in defending its ideological position. Its analysis of the USA PATRIOT Act, though, is both...","rel":"","context":"In "Homeland Security"","block_context":{"text":"Homeland Security","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/homeland-security"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":129888,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2016\/02\/21\/is-anyone-shocked-anti-terrorism-powers-are-being-used-for-non-terrorism-cases.html","url_meta":{"origin":983,"position":1},"title":"Is anyone shocked anti-terrorism powers are being used for non-terrorism cases?","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 21-Feb-16 10:22pm","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Sneak and Peak\" warrants were describe as essential for combating terrorism when the PATRIOT Act was passed after 9\/11. What's remarkable is how rarely such warrants are being used against terrorism vs. other cases (usually narcotics ones).Bottom line: 'Assume that any power you grant to the federal government to fight\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":407,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2003\/04\/18\/over_my_dead_bo.html","url_meta":{"origin":983,"position":2},"title":"“Over my dead body”","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 18-Apr-03 10:49am","format":false,"excerpt":"Demonstrating that not all GOP politicians are power-mad rapists of civil liberties, James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) says he'll enforce sunsetting of USA PATRIOT Act provisions. House Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner...","rel":"","context":"In "Homeland Security"","block_context":{"text":"Homeland Security","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/homeland-security"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46821,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/11\/06\/the-fabulous-excuse-of-terror.html","url_meta":{"origin":983,"position":3},"title":"The fabulous excuse of TERROR!","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 6-Nov-14 7:42am","format":false,"excerpt":"Is anyone particularly surprised by this?'Section 213 was included in the Patriot Act over the protests of privacy advocates and granted law enforcement the power to conduct a search while delaying notice to the suspect of the search. Known as a \u201csneak and peek\u201d warrant, law enforcement was adamant Section\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/TMW2013-06-12colorLARGE%5B1%5D.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/TMW2013-06-12colorLARGE%5B1%5D.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/TMW2013-06-12colorLARGE%5B1%5D.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10242,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2007\/03\/09\/because_of_course_such_wi.html","url_meta":{"origin":983,"position":4},"title":"Because, of course, such will never, ever be abused","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 9-Mar-07 11:48am","format":false,"excerpt":"There were many loud howls and cries regarding the PATRIOT Act and various provisions therein that allowed law enforcement to do all sorts of \"give us this info and keep...","rel":"","context":"In "Homeland Security"","block_context":{"text":"Homeland Security","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/homeland-security"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1265,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2002\/02\/04\/when_is_a_terro.html","url_meta":{"origin":983,"position":5},"title":"When is a terrorist not a terrorist?","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 4-Feb-02 2:40pm","format":false,"excerpt":"When he (or she, of course) is a freedom fighter, naturally. That's the game that various nations have been playing at the UN for several years, during attempts to ratify...","rel":"","context":"In "Fourth Estate"","block_context":{"text":"Fourth Estate","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/media\/fourth-estate"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}